Treasury department document alleging ‘improper conduct’ involving Labor MP Jayne Stinson kept secret after FOI request
A document alleging “improper conduct” involving Labor MP Jayne Stinson has been kept secret – as it’s revealed her office had “higher than expected” staff turnover.
SA News
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A government department is refusing to release a copy of an email containing “suggestions” of improper conduct involving state Labor MP Jayne Stinson.
The Advertiser lodged a Freedom of Information application with the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF), requesting any documents that refer to concerns expressed by staffers about Ms Stinson’s behaviour.
This followed high staff turnover at the MP’s electorate office. Ms Stinson says no allegations of improper conduct have been put to her.
The department, however, refused to release one relevant email, on the grounds it contained “allegations or suggestions of improper conduct, the truth of which has not been established by a judicial process”.
“Disclosing this information would be unreasonable,” the FOI determination said.
It also included a heavily redacted DTF meeting minute from February 16, which contained “allegations or suggestions of improper conduct”.
Ms Stinson told The Advertiser: “No allegations of improper conduct have been put to me by DTF.”
A key point from the meeting minute said: “The Badcoe EO (electorate office) since 2018 has experienced a higher than expected turnover of staff …”
The Badcoe electorate was created in 2016 and contested for the first time at the 2018 election, when Ms Stinson won the seat over Liberal candidate Lachlan Clyne.
Ms Stinson stepped down from the Labor front bench to deal with “deeply personal matters” in late February.
In March, Treasurer Rob Lucas told The Advertiser “a number of issues have been raised by staff in Ms Stinson’s office”.
Other emails were redacted or blocked entirely because they contained “information relating to the personal affairs of third parties”.
One email from electorate services manager Paul Tatarelli appeared to relate to the transfer of a trainee out of Ms Stinson’s office.
The Advertiser asked Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas if he was aware of any allegations made against Ms Stinson, if he investigated them and if he thought the documents should be made public.
An Opposition spokesman responded: “As was stated in March when Jayne Stinson stepped down from the front bench, she had been grappling with the pressure of a personal issue which had been very traumatic for her.
“This had been a challenging time in Jayne’s life, juggling this personal matter with the responsibilities of being a Shadow Minister.
“Jayne stepped down from the front bench so she had the time to deal with her personal issues.”
Clause 6 of the FOI act states a document is exempt if it contains allegations or suggestions of criminal or other improper conduct on the part of a person that haven’t been established by a judicial process.
The clause also says a document is exempt if it contains information about the personal affairs of any person, and the disclosure of which would be unreasonable.
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